|
|
To make a promise is to declare or to announce to an individual or to a group, that something will or will not be done. When a promise is made, like a guarantee, you expect its assurance is true. That's how it's supposed to be. But when man makes a promise, man here is in the generic and that includes both male and female, when man makes you a promise, don't write any checks until the money is in the bank. Many have made promises, and have not kept them. A promise was made to some of you. Someone promised before God and a bunch of witnesses to love, honor, and cherish you; in sickness or health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others until death do you part. But they didn't keep their promise. When promise is not kept, somebody gets hurt or becomes disappointed. Hurt and disappointments have taught us not to trust people based on what they say they will do. How does that old saying go, "I got burned once, but I'm not going to get burned twice".
We've gotten to the point that we don't know who to trust. We're afraid to take a chance and put our trust in anybody who cannot prove to us that they are able to keep their promises. The late Dr. J. Slydell Peterson, past President of Reed Christian College, Western Theological Seminary; Dr. J. Slydell Peterson coined the phrase, the idea of God begins in the intellect of man but the evidence of Him is in the heart of the believer. Man, without a doubt, is a very intelligent being. He has discovered medicines that help fight many of the world's diseases. He has advanced through technology that has given us the quality of life that we've come to enjoy as well as to expect.
How much of the credit for these discoveries did man give to God?. After all it was God who gave man His permission to subdue and to have dominion over the earth.. The materials that man uses in these scientific and technological advancements, from creation, God left here in the earth to be discovered. Not once has God charged a dime for oil, or energy, but the savings on the cost have yet to be passed down to the consumer. We are promised, especially from our politicians, that things are going to get better. But! we're never told when things are going to get better. So we wait, and we wait, and we wait, we wait so long that we become suspicious of the promises that were made.
Does anybody remember Reaganomics? Weren't we promised that things were going to get better? Well, did they? Reaganomics have transfigured into Bushanomics. Under Bushanomics, are things better now? Have you checked out the price of gasoline lately? What about those of you who live in the areas serviced by So. Cal. Edison ? Have you received an electric bill lately? If you think that bill surprised you, wait until you see the next one.
When a promise is made and not kept, somebody gets hurt or they become disappointed. Hurt and disappointments have taught us not to trust anybody based on what they say. Talk is cheap. People will tell you whatever they have to, to win your trust. And as soon as they win that trust, they disappoint you. We've been disappointed so much, that we don't know whom we can trust. So we become skeptical of anybody who can't prove to us that they are able to keep their promises. Some of us have been disappointed so much, that it's hard if not impossible to trust anyone, and that includes God.
God has nothing but love for everybody; believers as well as non-believers. The only noticeable difference between these two is how they respond to God. Before a believer lies down to go to sleep, he thanks God for keeping him safe all that day, and prays that He watch over him while he sleeps. When he wakes up the next morning, the believer thanks God for watching over him while he slept, and prays that He will keep him safe all day. Before the believer eats a meal he gives thanks to God. When the believer receives his pay, he subtracts 10% from the top and gives that 10% to God because he's thankful for all that God has done for him. Just as God takes care of the believer who gives thanks to Him, He gives the same care to non-believers who give Him no thanks at all.. Why is it that God's love for the believer is no different than for the non-believer? Since He's not a reality in the lives of non-believers, why should God love them the same as He does a believer? I'll tell you why, because He keeps His promises.
Somebody who knew that God is able to keep His promises. Somebody knew that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Somebody had a testimony, that they were once young, but by the grace of God they had gotten old, but in their lifetime had never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. Somebody prayed for you. Somebody asked God to bless and keep you. Somebody asked Him to save you by His grace. I don't know who it was that prayed, it might have been grandmother or grandfather, it might have been mama or it might have been daddy, but whoever it was lived on the promises of God. He promised, never to leave them nor forsake them; and their prayers are still working right now. If you don't admit it, your being here is enough evidence to convince me, that the God I serve, is able to keep His promises.
The writer of this text is the Apostle Paul. His audience was the Gentile believers at Rome. These believers lived in an environment that was totally hostile towards them. If you lived in Rome in those days the worst thing you could do was to let it be known that you were a Christian. For it to be known that you were a Christian meant that you could be fed to wild lions. You could have boiling lead poured all over your body; You could have hot red branding irons put to the private parts of your body; you could have been soaked in a flammable liquid and set on fire. If you lived in Rome in those days the worst thing you could do was to let it be known that you were a Christian.
Paul had never met these Roman believers but had heard about their faith. He tells them in this letter that he was praying for them. He also prayed for the chance to visit with them so that he could encourage as well as be encouraged by them. Paul's message was that Salvation was first to the Jew and then to the Gentiles. Next he explains that to be born of Jewish parents and live by Jewish tradition doesn't mean a thing if you don't obey God. The law was given to the Jews, and they didn't keep it. Many boasted that to break the law would serve notice on the rest of the world, just how good their God is. Because He would forgive them. The case was that all men whether they were Jews or Gentiles was the same.
The case is now that all men whether they are believers
or a non-believer is the same. When we disobey God, we sin against Him. And to
sin against Him is to willingly invite punishment. So why then hasn't God
applied the punishment prescribed. We have sinned against Him in our words, in
our thoughts, and in our deeds. Our very nature is sinful. We sin against Him by
omission and we sin by commission. Omission is where one fails to accept the
plan God's of Salvation. Commission is where one willfully disobeys Divine
instructions. So why hasn't God applied the prescribed punishment. The
punishment is coming, the wages of sin is still death, but it hasn't been
applied because God keeps His promises.
First of all He promised to bless you as he has promised you He would. Then He promised to give you a land. This land would have houses that you did not build. This land would have vineyard that you did not plant. It is a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey.. To bless you in your works and in all that you put your hands to do. Then God promised to give us eternal life. If we were faithful unto death He will give us a crown of life.
These promises were made to anyone who would confess with
his mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in his hearts, that God raised Him from
the dead. Then they were made to whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord.
And then to those that believe and are baptized. In other words to those whom
God so love, that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life
Through His Son Jesus Christ. Who was delivered to death for our sins, and raised again for our justification. He offered Himself as our sacrifice, as our substitute, as the covering for our sins. And His Father was satisfied with this sacrifice. The reason I know that His Father was satisfied with this sacrifice, is that He raised Jesus up from the dead. So how then is God able to keep His promises? He promised to bless us. Some people believe that a blessing only comes in material things. But I stopped by to tell you, if you have a reasonable portion of health and strength, you're blessed. If you have eyes to see, ears to hear, legs to walk, and a tongue to talk, you're already blessed.
Then He promised to give us a home. Jesus told us He was going away to prepare a place for us that where He is there we shall be also; and in His Father's house were many mansions. I've got a home and you've got a home all of God children have got a home. Then He promised to give us eternal life. I heard Jesus say in the Gospel of John 10:27&28, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. So the question still remains with us, how is God able to keep His promises?
The promises that He made are not to benefit everybody. You must be special in Gods eyes to receive the benefit of His Promises. You are special if you have confessed with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believed in your heart, that God raised Him from the dead. You are special if you have called upon the name of the Lord. And then you are special if you believe and have been baptized. You are special if you are a member of the body of Christ. If you're in Him and He's in you, God will keep His promises. One more time. How is God able to keep his promises?